Scott R Chilcutt, Fort Worth, TX (April 4, 2015) Another sellout on the Dallas Tour as players made their way to Southwest Fort Worth for the Pecan Valley Open on Saturday. Pecan Valley, just below the dam of Benbrook Lake has the Clear Fork of the Trinity River meandering through the layout. Course staff did a great job getting the greens to run smooth after practice rounds showed a bunch of fluff. Northerly breezes showed it's teeth occasionally, but generally held true to a course setup for the weather.
Kem Albrittion, edged out Zane Latham for the Tournament Champion Trophy, presented by Carlisle's Engraving in a score card playoff.
RESULTS:
Championship Flight: Plano, TX first time player, Gant Bills had only two hiccups on the round, but added three birdies on the par 4 - 9th, par 4 - 10th and par 4 - 14th to shoot one under par 69 for the win. Two strokes back, Cameron Kirkpatrick of Dallas, TX finished strong with birdie on the par 4 - 16th and a near eagle on the par 5 - 18 for the runner up finish. Home course local, Sean Fenton of Fort Worth, TX made birdie on the par 4 - 10th to round out the top three.
Palmer Flight: New Orleans, LA native Todd Arnold now residing in Fort Worth, TX struggled out of the gate, going +6 after eight holes, but then got his game in order. Arnold played the next ten in even par with birdies on the par 4 -14th and par 4 - 16th to win his first event in two attempts on tour. Two strokes back, Kevin Evans of Springtown, TX carded his best finish on tour with the help of birdies on the par 4 - 8th and par 4 - 10th. Four strokes back the trio of Clay Johnston of Lewisville, TX, Midland, TX first year player Brooke Schlemeyer and David Wright of Flower Mound, TX shared the third place honors.
Senior Palmer: Senior Palmer mainstay, Kem Albritton of Garland, TX plunked along to his eleventh win on tour and second of the season. Albritton's three over par put him out front of second place finisher David York of Graham, TX, with a birdie on his first hole of the day, the par 4 - 10th by four strokes. Duane Dunton of Burleson, TX made birdie on the par 4 - 18th to pick up the show position finish his best of the season.
Hogan Flight: Cody Wright of Dallas, TX stumbled going to his back nine after starting the day on the tenth hole, but re bounded to finish with three straight pars to win the flight by a stroke. It was Cody's second win on tour and first since the 2013 Dallas Tour Championship @ The Tribute. McKinney, TX player Navakiran Chitturi made birdie on the par 3 - 13th to solidify the runner up spot with a pair of players just one stroke back. Nancy Geihl of Grand Prairie, TX, with birdies on both par threes on the front and Colcord, OK player Clifford Whittington with a birdie on the par 5 - 7th split the third place finish.
Senior Hogan Flight: The first of two Kansas invaders, Gary Schuessler of Wichita, KS made birdies on the par 4 -5th and then had three consecutive birdies making the turn to finish three strokes ahead of the field for his fifth win on tour and second since his promotion from the Senior Sarazen Flight. Three strokes back, Bob Mulligan from Dallas, TX, with birdie on the par 4 - 12th and Cisco, TX member, Manuel Martinez with birdies on the par 4 - 4th and par 5 - 7th split the runner up honors.
Sarazen Flight: William Trott of Keller, TX, playing in his first event on tour came out the big winner. Trott, played both sides in +6 with the help of a birdie on the par 3 - 6th for a three stroke victory. Richardson, TX player Sven Bock took three strokes off the back nine to pick up his second consecutive runner up finish. Preston Miller, residing just over the hill from Pecan Valley, followed up his 2014 win at the course with a third place finish.
Senior Sarazen Flight: Swept in off the Plains of Kansas, Ernie DeBruler of Augusta, KS, picked up his first win since the 2013 Oklahoma Open @ Oak Tree with a three stroke advantage. Runner up honors went to Alto, TX member Nicky Baugh with the help of a birdie on the par 3 -13th three strokes ahead of a trio knotted in third place. Burnie Rodgers of Haslet, TX, actually played an iron on a par four, Davis Noble of Lake Kiowa, TX and Keller, TX player Joe Longley split the third place finish.
Jones Flight: Tommy Templin of Hurst, TX started on the tenth hole, birdied the par 5 - 18th, but would double his last hole to open the door. Valley View, TX player, Zane Latham would par out his last two holes to force extra holes. Going back out to the crazy par 4 - 15th Templin would bogey, just enough to pick up his first win on tour. Gerald Knight of Aledo, TX carded birdie on his second hole of the day, the par 4 -11th to round out the top three.
Snead Flight: Arlington, TX player Thomas Rauch made it two in as many attempts picking up his third win on tour. Rauch made bogey on his final hole, the par 5 -18th to secure the win over Stan Harper of Lake Leon, TX and Weatherford, TX member Jason Jenniges tied up in the runner up spot just one stroke back.
SKINS:
Giant SKINS: ($640/each) 1 -- Shawn Whitaker, Lewisville, TX.
Championship: ($60/each) 1 -- Gant Bills, Plano, TX; Tim Williams, McKinney, TX; Terry Rice, Midland, TX.
Palmer / Senior Palmer: ($56/each) 2 -- Nic Linde, Keller TX. 1 -- Scott Harper, Ranger, TX; Todd Arnold, Fort Worth; David Wright, Flower Mound, TX.
Hogan: ($34/each) 2 -- Nancy Geihl, Grand Prairie, TX. 1 -- Jeff Workman, Fort Worth, TX; Kenneth Haynes, Sterling, VA; Caleb Brown, Lewsiville, TX; Darren Bufton, Bedford, TX; Shawn Whitaker, Lewisville, TX.
Senior Hogan: ($25/each) 2 -- Phillip Holt, Haslet, TX; John Cox, Mansfield, TX; Gary Schuessler, Wichita, KS. 1 -- Manuel Martinez, Cisco, TX; Steve Lamb, Garland, TX; Kenneth Mack, Dallas, TX.
Sarazen / Senior Sarazen: ($55/each) 2 -- Burnie Rodgers, Haslet, TX. 1 -- Nicky Baugh, Alto, TX; Blake Barnes, Deer Park, TX; Mike Frenzel, Arlington, TX; Jim Wright, Azle, TX; John Lopez, Saginaw, TX; William Trott, Keller, TX; Raul Martinez, Brownwood, TX.
Jones / Snead: ($48/each) 2 -- Ron Hardy, Lewisville, TX. 1 -- Zane Latham, Valley View, TX; Tommy Templin, Hurst, TX; Jason Jenniges, Weatherford, TX.
CLOSEST TO THE HOLE:
($140/each) #3 - William Hall - 19' 7"; #6 - Blake Barnes - 19' 2"; #13 - Gary Schuessler - 9' 11"; #17 - Phillip Holt - 4' 11"
Upcoming Texas Events:
Dallas Tour players come back to the totally renovated, The Lakes at Castle Hills, for the Castle Hills Masters on Monday, April 20th. Entry Deadline is Friday, April 10th.
Hill Country Members are playing the San Antonio Master, already sold out before moving to, The Challenge at River Place on Sunday, April 26th, entry closes on Friday, April 17th.
Members on the Houston Tour tee it up for the Masters @ Magnolia, another sold out event, and then kick it back into gear for the special Player Championship @ The Woodlands on Tuesday, May 19th. Registration closes on Friday, May 8th.
For More Information:
Scott R Chilcutt
Director - Texas Tours
Dallas Tour - Hill Country Tour - Houston Tour
GOLF CHANNEL Amateur Tour
405.513.1467
